WEP statement from Sophie Walker

[SturdyEarmuffs]

She's tabled an emergency motion re the GRA debate at conference

Why is it that women must always be the ones who have to play nice. What century are we living in?

And like RedToothBrush said, isn't it interesting timing.

And why do we have to waste women's time centring the issues of a group of male people? Largely irrelevant to women. Patriarchy in action.

Thanks Ereshkigal I had thought she was off social media, so didn’t look.

And why do we have to waste women's time centring the issues of a group of male people?

Yep. Why do those issues always always always have to take precedence?

I suppose, when the money from your core potential membership demographic starts drying up you have to start listening

This^ Women who are involved in WEP are more likely to have some knowledge of basic femininst principles, and more likely to be dismayed by the party being taken over by TRAs. They may not be able to speak up, but they can quietly let their memberships lapse. Their are not enough TRAs in the UK to financially support the party. I'm sure the people in charge can see what is happening with their membership numbers and can draw some conclusions. They can also see an almighty backlash coming (TRAs, me-too etc etc) and if they position the party correctly they could pick up a lot of new members.

isn't catherine meyer, one of the founders of WEP pretty much 100% lib fem / cool girl 'women should be nice, WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO THE LOVELY TRANS LADIES?'

I think she wrote an article which basically boiled down to the above

i can image that she and sophie aren't getting on too well these days

too little too late, but at least SW is doing something

do more, try harder.

you have a platform. don't use it to stitch up women.

Filia’s reply to the statement is 👌

Pleased WEP recognise the importance of democratic debate and need for single-sex services and protections. Anti-transphobia and pro-women's rights are not mutually exclusive positions. We stand by our spokeswoman HBE in her continued call for the same.

seriously too little too late.... they so missed a trick or thirty: This ONE big issue would have been an opportunity to differentiate themselves from ALL the other political parties and actually champions WOMEN, their remit.... They would have so gathered followers and been recognised for playing a huge role in shaping how we look after women and girls in this country.... And they should have been one step ahead of the rest of us in recognising what was at stake, rather than tripping over their own feet and realising too late...

Totally agree with -

I suppose, when the money from your core potential membership demographic starts drying up you have to start listening

This^ Women who are involved in WEP are more likely to have some knowledge of basic femininst principles, and more likely to be dismayed by the party being taken over by TRAs. They may not be able to speak up, but they can quietly let their memberships lapse. Their are not enough TRAs in the UK to financially support the party. I'm sure the people in charge can see what is happening with their membership numbers and can draw some conclusions. They can also see an almighty backlash coming (TRAs, me-too etc etc) and if they position the party correctly they could pick up a lot of new members.

We should start a Mumsnet political party. We could do a better job than most of the self serving muppets right now!

And women being 'nice' will be the death of us...

I think all the political parties must now be wondering how to draw back from the promises they've made to trans people about the GRA. It's clearly not the free win that they thought it would be when the consultation was first announced. Their stupidity about the issue, because none of them has a feminist analysis or gives a fuck about women anyway, meant they thought it would be a lovely popular move, like making gay marriage legal. Something only genuine bigots could disagree with and which affects nobody except the individuals concerned.

Even before the recent revelations about Jess Bradley and David Challenor, they have been realising their mistake. They haven't suddenly developed intelligence, or started caring about women's rights, but they have realised this is unpopular with the electorate and makes them look like twats.

When we went to see our MP to talk about the GRA, she told us there has already been some push back against the original position of her party (Tories). However, she was noncommittal about her stance, and I think a lot of them are unwilling to put their heads above the parapet. I find it very mealy mouthed of them to leave it to women to speak up and get the abuse, when they're being paid to represent us.

If the WEP doesn't speak out on this, there is no justification for their existence. Who on earth would vote for them?

I feel that WEP betrayed women, so while I’m interested in this announcement, and I’d love for them to become properly GC, it’s very much “too little too late”.

Having said that, we need all the help we can get and I’m not proud. So come on, Sophie, pull your finger out, get off the fence and fight for women.

I agree it's late, almost too late and not much scope to give this wider exposure. However, it could be the 1st turning point and if done properly, who knows? Maybe other parties will see that women's votes will be important enough to clamp down on the "terf bigot" stance that's been allowed to proliferate thus far. I may just be deluding myself on that though.

Right. So now the house of cards is crumbling, Sophie suddenly gets some ovaries?

Nope. She can fuck right off.

yeah. she's come across as a bit of a wet lettuce all along

so fucking concilatory

Yes to little too late. I too feel so angry that they were able to steal this name from women everywhere and then do this.

It must break some kind of false advertising or campaigning law if the name of your party gives a false and misleading impression of what you actually do? Or is that just too sensible to have been written down.

Outside of POTUS, there is not nearly as much acclaim, money, and power in actually being a significant office holder/leader/leading member of a political party as there is to be gained on the national/international speaking circuit.

Whatever the outcome, Sophie Walker's probable future speaking/consultation engagements will plausibly bring her everything she wants - irrespective of what her efforts have actually achieved for women beyond her privileged circle.

Do I remember Sophie coming into FWR previously or have I imagined that?
I’d love to hear from her about what has caused this..:y’know apart from money.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_live_events/2617026-Webchat-with-Sophie-Walker-leader-of-the-Womens-Equality-Party-and-London-Mayor-candidate-Tuesday-19-April-at-noon

Oh yes, the webchat with Sophie was super.
She said we were 'vicious'

Well well well, that 'cover all' statement she started with really looks poor in hindsight, and it wasn't much better when it was posted!

Oh yes, the webchat with Sophie was super.
She said we were 'vicious'

That thread

What with the trans stuff and the men on mat wards I am aghast. The latter issue being why I’ve spent 30+ weeks fighting to have a home birth.

I think she’s made a huge statement there, she knows exactly how it will be read and received and the abuse she will get

You've made me feel bad, now.

Karen Ingala-Smith on Twitter is making the point that this is further than any other UK Party is prepared to go.

Sad Times.

But it does underline why we needed a really woman-centred Party so much in the first place. ☹️

I might even join